The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1887-03-17


on ton of Wells and covered them mp. We
knew ii was intended for insult, and we I
began 20 realize what it was TO he prls-
ouer I'm the hands of the Confedcracy.
The second night in he enemy's hands was /
passed near Gen. Hoods headquarters. The /
second day We were turned over to some
Home Guards, and started on our way 10
Andersau,ille We were made 10 feel our
position by nsults and petty acts Of tyranny
as we were driven along
UNDER DRAWN SWORD OR PISTOL.
Some of the men were almost sick, many
were loo'saro on account Oi the loss OF their
shoes. and aIi let weak and faint fer wanto
food but si- only somudt0p please the soul
less Home Guards' and when we were cor
raled on "a green spot In thecNenlngw drop
ped down overcome more 10y the depressing
influenced the indignitire and inhumanilcs
heaped uuon us than hy the want oi food,
We were poucrless 10 resent anything, aud
life was a burden. We almost forgot that
We were hunury, though on the way we had
eagerly DIucsod and tried toegt The hali-Hpe
pcrsimmons which lined the iencc-roNs.
For my part ihe degradation oi this day
was iclt more l,eenly thau amy other m my
experience; ID was a fearful ArolklnE ln.
ii WAS mot yet suuH0Wu when we eaInpca.
and tharr waTa soon quite number 0i country
women around Che camp looking ai us.
went % ,fD guard line and found woman
uhosa5d She would bUugus some mlIk. When %
came J gave heg small silk neclNlc. lhe only
useless thing had that ] taolLht would
pleasc her The gift seemed unexpected, and
SHE went away With tcars In her eyes.
We marrhol nest day aud campci near
village. the name ] DO NOT remember Capt
NrI-Her and Lieut. Bu-tC TOOK % lu their
he1d. 90 have something good 20 cat They
app .c1 lorf.a. commander of the guard, and be
permitted ..l 300 10 go cut on giving
wmR WORD oF HONOR
90 return. They went 20 "a house and had
baked about @ peck of biscuit on shoricahe
aud we did have Ielst As they had charge
of the bi-gg, from ,aa baNcrs % camp ] slept
with Them to balance tle account, aud j be-
HJyc balanced iE
Thruazt morning the uatiyg 0oc'yol around
to look $50 u-. "A certain mm wanted some
thing to rem. .Her thc Yankees by ! Thought
OF pair o.. pure ruhnar -uS.gujcrs and cN-
changed 5N.u Tor thrcc immense plugs OF To-
Aac.0 aHj made good bargain.
ThgueEl camping place ] remember was i'm
"a chnrrhrara u Columbus ta., where we E1t
some good bareback and bacon. Whom ID WAS
eraNlu- dark .#ah0ys noticed q C1lored woman
81 No l-.e. Hn0 seemed ta want something
ouu 0t Che H0Fe went 20 Der, WHOM She s'lppgd
o. jug OF fuo...-s .ram under hgr skirts, gave Ut
AG6r Ia We travelled hy railroad, and ] re-
member uo ar.icH.ar incident ca route. We
reached And Iruuyi'Io on thr llth oi October,
1864, thc Ci a.h day after our capture The
FIRST yEw OF THE sreCNADE
rs We slowly came into The station, sent a chill
through Our hearts, and our speeches were
short and lou f we sptlcai al. Uutric3 dam
gers luIiltd there that wc could uo' fight sui
l.rup, prir..au aud disease we believed we
must face ut thc horrible truth had not
oawura ur#. ua, ~ been imagined.
Here Cap. N -nur lpt us. the officers hay-
iuEa sgUsrt. pen, aud D SAW him no more for
many wears thuHtIc and myself who had not
vef received aar c0mms- ons or purchased
officers uniforms, did not claim our rank, and
went into iHe mann pen with the boys. j
might add bore tuat }e are st.ll IN the pen
with ihe boys urycr having been mustered or
Udas officers ugto this yegrol our Lord l-s7.
We were marched from tie cars 10 the gate Of
tire s.orlydr, flied into line aud searched for
yaluabos which they took and kept, but they
lCt me keep uT ld yalise.
The gates were opened Ny first impression
was that the inmates were all negroes. We
marched boz, On either side were crowds ol
prisoners who get had liiu enough lgf, 10 ask
for bread, or inquire for news or look for
friends We were shown au uuoccnried spot
and left for The night. The old prisoners
crowded around and inquired How about the
war;
Next they asked about that which involved
not only home but life Itseif-oxchange They
knew they could not last much longer.
"ANy NEWS OF EXCHANGED"
"Any news Of exchangc?" When told we
knew nothing they racl,cd their feeble frames
with imprccations The phrase CRATES upon my
ears TO this day. / hate 10 think of il. No
words in thc language call up such bitter rcc0l-
lections. il Was the burden Of their thoughts,
aud soon ol ours, as il was the only gate OF
opening 10 this world o! the dccp-muttercd
curses against those in authority by these
smoke -begIimed bony, hollow-eycd creatures
who in their rags and dirt and matted
hair looked more like wizards than men, who
were staring death in the face across chasm
60 narrow whose last faint hopes were again
shattered By our answers, were awful 10 listen
20.
Under these circumstances. we lay down ON
the damp sand without shelter and no cover.
ing except one poor blanket which the robber,
had left BO,tic because IL was not worth taking
aud which he shared with me. The first Incl
dent that occurred 10 break our sleep or medi-
tation was the shout of Raidcr!" These
raiders were the remnant Of a set Of thioye,
who were at one time
TERROR IN THE PEN.
think the raiders band had been broken up
and il was likely some starving fellow VIII,
OF the new prisoners. We were not mucl
troubled u this way, aud morning came az last
when we were free 10 20 where We pleased in
side the dead line, which consisted of a row O
posts about three feet high driven in tn
ground some 20 feet from the stOckade, OF
which were nailed narrow strips from one 4
another
Our quarters were established in the south
east corner oi the stoCkade. i started on
tour Of inspection. The pen Enclosed, ! shou
say, about - acres at that time, in the form q
q paralleiugTam, running north aud SOUTH ana
divided by a brook running though il frou
west TO east. By the dammug-up against th
east side, swampy place was formed extend
lng nearly across 10 the west side This swan
wss 4 very foul place. ] went 10 the west sid,
thence north across the brook, up the hill, pas
the famous spring under the dead line, theme
on 10 the top Of the hill, where ] came across
shauty called
TIE "DEAD HOUSE"
The first view Of the place was sickeninl
There were a number of bodies ia there throw
together as are the dead animals gathered froI
the streets 81 city. The bodies were all mud
omaciated 10 the last degree and frightfull
distorted, aud when lere and there / saw III
glazed eyes peerng ott from their deep socket
ID was frightlul.
] then went on TO visit the so-callcd hospiti
buildings. These buildings were merely Sc,
era long sheds across the north end of tl
stoekade. They were not sided up, aud COZ
tnlncd two rows Oid0ublc hunks made Of rougl
sawed pitch-pine boards. ] saw no straw u,
bedding Of any kind IN use ] went the who
Ieunlh of these lkpQe There H. Sav..ru1 40.